commerce of life; a temper which keeps the man always in alarms, difpofes him to judge of every thing in a manner that leaft favours his own quiet, fills him with perpetual ftratagems of counteraction, wears him out in fchemes to obviate evils which never threatened him, and at length, perhaps, contributes to the production of thofe mifchiefs of which it had raised fuch dreadful apprehenfions. It has been usual in all ages for moralifts to reprefs the fwellings of vain hope by reprefentations of the innumerable cafualties to which life is fubject, and by inftances of the unexpected defeat of the wifeft fchemes of policy, and fudden fubverfions of the highest eminences of greatnefs. It has, perhaps, not been equally observed, that all these examples afford the proper antidote to fear as well as to hope, and may be applied with no lefs efficacy as confolations to the timorous, than as restraints to the proud. Evil is uncertain in the fame degree as good, and for the reafon that we ought not to hope too fecurely, we ought not to fear with too much dejection. The ftate of the world is continually changing, and none can tell the refult of the next viciffitude. Whatever is afloat in the ftream of time, may, when it is very near us, be driven away by an accidental blaft, which fhall happen to cross the general courfe of the current. The fudden accidents by which the powerful are depreffed, may fall upon those whofe malice we fear; and the greatnefs by which we expect to be overborn, may become another proof of the false flatteries of fortune. Our enemies may become weak, or we grow ftrong before our encounter, or we may advance against each other without ever meeting. meeting. There are, indeed, natural evils which we can flatter ourfelves with no hopes of efcaping, and with little of delaying; but of the ills which are apprehended from human malignity, or the opposition of rival interefts, we may always alleviate the terror by confidering that our perfecutors are weak and ignorant, and mortal like ourselves. The misfortunes which arife from the concurrence of unhappy incidents fhould never be fuffered to disturb us before they happen; because, if the breast be once laid open to the dread of mere poffibilities of mifery, life must be given a prey to dismal folicitude, and quiet must be loft for ever. It is remarked by old Cornaro, that it is abfurd to be afraid of the natural diffolution of the body, because it must certainly happen, and can, by no caution or artifice, be avoided. Whether this fentiment be entirely juft, I fhall not examine; but certainly, if it be improper to fear events which must happen, it is yet more evidently contrary to right reason to fear those which may never happen, and which, if they should come upon us, we cannot refift. As we ought not to give way to fear any more than indulgence to hope, because the objects both of fear and hope are yet uncertain, fo we ought not to trust the representations of one more than of the other, because they are both equally fallacious; as hope enlarges happiness, fear aggravates calamity. It is generally allowed, that no man ever found the happiness of poffeffion proportionate to that expectation which incited his defire, and invigorated his purfuit; nor has any man found the evils of life fo formidable formidable in reality, as they were described to him by his own imagination; every fpecies of diftress brings with it fome peculiar fupports, fome unforeseen means of refifting, or power of enduring. Taylor justly blames fome pious perfons, who indulge their fancies too much, fet themfelves, by the force of imagination, in the place of the ancient martyrs and confeffors, and question the validity of their own faith because they shrink at the thoughts of flames and tortures. It is, fays he, fufficient that you are able to encounter the temptations which now affault you; when God fends trials, he may fend ftrength. All fear is in itself painful, and when it conduces not to fafety is painful without use. Every confideration, therefore, by which groundless terrors may be removed, adds fomething to human happiness. It is likewife not unworthy of remark, that in proportion as our cares are employed upon the future, they are abstracted from the prefent, from the only time which we can call our own, and of which if we neglect the duties, to make provifion against visionary attacks, we fhall certainly counteract our own purpofe; for he, doubtlefs, mistakes his true interest, who thinks that he can increase his fafety, when he impairs his virtue. VOL. V. NUMB. 30. SATURDAY, June 30, 1750. Vultus ubi tuus Affulfit populo, gratior it dies, Whene'er thy countenance divine Th' attendant people cheers, The genial funs more radiant fhine, Mr. RAMBLER, T HOR ELPHINSTON, HERE are few tafks more ungrateful, than for perfons of modefty to fpeak their own praifes. In fome cafes, however, this must be done for the general good, and a generous fpirit will on fuch occafions affert its merit, and vindicate itself with becoming warmth. My circumstances, Sir, are very hard and pecufiar. Could the world be brought to treat me as I deferve, it would be a publick benefit. This makes me apply to you, that my cafe being fairly stated in a paper fo generally esteemed, I may fuffer no longer from ignorant and childish prejudices. My elder brother was a Jew. A very respectable perfon, but fomewhat auftere in his manner: highly and defervedly valued by his near relations and intimates, but utterly unfit for mixing in a larger fociety, or gaining a general acquaintance among mankind. In a venerable old age he retired from the world, and I in the bloom of youth came into it, fucceeding him in all his dignities, and formed, as I might reasonably flatter myself, to be the object of univerfal love and efteem. Joy and gladness were born with me; cheerfulness, good-humour, and benevolence always attended and endeared my infancy. That time is long paft. So long, that idle imaginations are apt to fancy me wrinkled, old, and difagreeable; but, unless my looking-glass deceives me, I have not yet loft one charm, one beauty of my earliest years. However, thus far is too certain, I am to every body just what they chufe to think me, fo that to very few I appear in my right shape; and though naturally I am the friend of human kind, to few, very few comparatively, am I useful or agreeable. This is the more grievous, as it is utterly impoffible for me to avoid being in all forts of places and companies; and I am therefore liable to meet with perpetual affronts and injuries. Though I have as natural an antipathy to cards and dice, as fome people have to a cat, many and many an affembly am I forced to endure; and though reft and compofure are my peculiar joy, am worn out, and haraffed to death with journies by men and women of quality, who never take one, but when I can be of the party. Some, on a contrary extreme, will never receive me but in bed, where they spend at least half of the time I have to stay with them; and others are fo monftrously ill-bred as to take phyfick on purpose when they have reafon to expect me. Those who keep upon terms of more politenefs with me, are generally fo cold and constrained in their behaviour, that I cannot but perceive myself an unwelcome gueft; and |